Safe Flight 21: ground broadcast service system

The FAA-initiated Safe Flight 21 program is a cooperative government/industry effort to evaluate enhanced aerodome and aircraft capabilities based on evolving communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) technologies. Safe Flight 21 will demonstrate the in-cockpit display of traffic, weather, terrain, and obstacle information for pilots and will provide improved information to controllers. The Ground Broadcast Service (GBS) System will act as the main communication service between the Safe Flight 21 sensors and both the avionic and ground vehicle users. The data, collected and processed by multiple sensors, is routed to the GBS System for formatting, broadcast timing coordination, filtering, and transmission to the end-users. This paper provides an overview of the GBS System as part of the FAA Safe Flight 21 program. It also presents the GBS System's complete functional requirements as well as user interface formats and protocols necessary for compliance with the Safe Flight 21 Program architecture.